Land-based cable (e.g., fiber optic cable) payout systems are typically mounted on and delivered from a vehicle. In one type of payout system, a spool rotates about its axis while a cable is pulled from it in a direction perpendicular to the spool's axis. In this configuration, an active control system is required to regulate the spool's speed of rotation with respect to the payout vehicle's speed to avoid cable "backlash" or "birdnest".
In an alternative payout system, the spool remains stationary while the cable is pulled from it in a direction parallel to the spool's axis. This configuration is advantageous because the payout system may be passive in that no moving parts or control systems are required. However, during payout from the stationary spool configuration, longitudinal twists occur in the cable at the rate of one twist for each turn of cable payout. If a cable is used several times in this manner without removing the induced twists, it will eventually kink and fail. To avoid accumulating twists, cable may be twisted during winding (called "pre-twisting") in the opposite direction but at the same rate as that induced during the payout. The net result is a neutral or zero twist cable after payout is complete.
One such prior art device designed to produce a pre-twisted center pull roving package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,405. This device includes a feeding eye that reciprocates transversely with respect to a non-rotating mandrel while it simultaneously rotates about the mandrel. However, by combining the reciprocating action with the rotational action at the point of feeding, the rotating hardware is complex since it must simultaneously control the feeding eye in transversal as well as rotational motion.
Thus, a need exists for a simple cable recovery winder capable of recovering and simultaneously winding the cable. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple cable recovery winder that recovers a cable and incorporates a twist per turn as the cable is wound such that the cable is ready for payout from a stationary spool configuration. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cable recovery winder that pre-twists the cable as it is wound in accordance with a uniform pitch. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cable recovery winder adaptable to a variety of spool and cable sizes and types.